Victims of clerical sex abuse have reacted furiously to Pope Benedict's claim yesterday that paedophilia wasn't considered an "absolute evil" as recently as the 1970s.

In his traditional Christmas address yesterday to cardinals and officials working in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI also claimed that child pornography was increasingly considered "normal" by society.

"In the 1970s, paedophilia was theorised as something fully in conformity with man and even with children," the Pope said.

"It was maintained - even within the realm of Catholic theology - that there is no such thing as evil in itself or good in itself. There is only a 'better than' and a 'worse than'. Nothing is good or bad in itself."

The Pope said abuse revelations in 2010 reached "an unimaginable dimension" which brought "humiliation" on the Church.

Asking how abuse exploded within the Church, the Pontiff called on senior clerics "to repair as much as possible the injustices that occurred" and to help victims heal through a better presentation of the Christian message.

"We cannot remain silent about the context of these times in which these events have come to light," he said, citing the growth of child pornography "that seems in some way to be considered more and more normal by society" he said.

But outraged Dublin victim Andrew Madden last night insisted that child abuse was not considered normal in the company he kept.

Mr Madden accused the Pope of not knowing that child pornography was the viewing of images of children being sexually abused, and should be named as such.

He said: "That is not normal. I don't know what company the Pope has been keeping for the past 50 years."

Pope Benedict also said sex tourism in the Third World was "threatening an entire generation".

Angry abuse victims in America last night said that while some Church officials have blamed the liberalism of the 1960s for the Church's sex abuse scandals and cover-up catastrophes, Pope Benedict had come up with a new theory of blaming the 1970s.

"Catholics should be embarrassed to hear their Pope talk again and again about abuse while doing little or nothing to stop it and to mischaracterise this heinous crisis," said Barbara Blaine, the head of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests,

"It is fundamentally disturbing to watch a brilliant man so conveniently misdiagnose a horrific scandal," she added.

"The Pope insists on talking about a vague 'broader context' he can't control, while ignoring the clear 'broader context' he can influence - the long-standing and unhealthy culture of a rigid, secretive, all-male Church hierarchy fixated on self-preservation at all costs. This is the 'context' that matters."

The latest controversy comes as the German magazine Der Spiegel continues to investigate the Pope's role in allowing a known paedophile priest to work with children in the early 1980s.

Churches go to jails and minister to convicted sex offenders and bring them into the church where people are unaware the church has program that ministers to convicted sex offenders and brings them into the church
Wake up everyone Child sexual abuse is not talked about in the church but instead ignored or hushed why ?
Let's open our eyes now It's been going on for years

Churches go to jails and minister to convicted sex offenders and bring them into the church where people are unaware the church has program that ministers to convicted sex offenders and brings them into the church
Wake up everyone Child sexual abuse is not talked about in the church but instead ignored or hushed why ?
Let's open our eyes now It's been going on for years

I read the Pope's words as lamenting the so-called "fact" that such things are considered normal by society. In other words, not excusing the crimes as ok, but instead shifting blame away from where it truly belongs. Which would still make it a classic psychopath maneuver.

This is endemic to society. Civilization is built on this mushy foundation. See my blog and post where I conclude that not only is the ego itself a false addition to us humans it is forced on us by the church and state. Seriously. The Golden Age belongs and belonged to us. The system is in our way. The ego holds the system up via a mechanic called egregore. Money and things like patents and copyright enforce the paradigm. Step aside from the ego for a moment to realize what you have to do to help usher in the golden age. 13000 years or more of reincarnation is at stake. If you read nothing from my blog just watch the videos from the last three posts featuring Coast to Coast interviews with Terence Mckenna, Carmen Boulter, Gregg Braden, Nassim Harramein, Mike Bara and Graham Hancock. Better yet just research those names. 'The gig is up for the fear merchants', David Icke.

This pope always reminds me of Ozzy Osbourne in his bat chewing days, he has the same vacant stare. What planet is he on? These comments are completely beyond the pale. As far as I am concerned the Catholic church is a cesspit of evil with no saving graces, they have always wanted power over peoples minds at all costs. God is within, not in a book.

Isn't this the same organization that castrated young choir boys so their voices wouldn't change?

They just cannot stand to have THEIR pleasures interfered with, can they?

System
·
2011-11-12T05:53:25Z

Herr Papst Ratslinger spricht.

Ja, Der Führer der Vatikanstaat spricht.
Remember he is infallible

System
·
2011-11-12T10:19:03Z

WRONG IS WRONG

Wrong is wrong. I was a child victim and my earliest childhood memories include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I suffered depression, mental anguish, fear in my skin, triggers, flashbacks and I was pushed to the brink of teenage suicide. This video link is a video I created about my life experience to help others understand what it is like to be "that child" or that grown adult who is suffering and no one knows... Children with PTSD are the least understood and among the most medically in need. Church and state are failing children who desperately need help. Most everyone has family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, peers etc....but not everyone knows when those they care about are suffering PTSD and considering Suicide. ArtHelpsPTSD and art is a tool that can help a suffering child make important decisions, like choosing life over suicide. Art give hope and hope separates life from death. Please watch the video... The pope is WRONG. Tammie Rain [Link]

The Pope's history lesson "blaming the 1970's" by inference tries to exonerate its own inaction, while on zero scientific and flimsy scriptural evidence, condemning homosexuality as "intrinsically evil", and will not offer 'unrepentant' homosexual men and women either holy communion or a job.

What does that tell you about a church, when it protected the jobs of pedophiles who actually assaulted children, while at the same time, sacking homosexuals simply for *being* homosexual, and harmed nobody at all?

It's worth keeping in mind that huge as it is, the Catholic Church is but one of over 38,000 different denominations of Christendom worldwide, each with their own divergent views on birth control, divorce and homosexuality, all condemned by Catholic catechism, yet accepted by the majority of its faithful. Yes, you heard me, Catholic support of equality for homosexuals eclipses that of all other mainstream religions. They're good people. It's the hierarchy that has issues, not the majority of the Catholic faithful.

System
·
2011-12-08T05:31:14Z

What else is new in the administration of the catholic church's ignorance on the things that they are saying? you cannot expect them to really scrutinize and diligently examine their stand on certain matters..because even from the start, the organization is a hoax and having a bad reputation like "holy inquisition" "child sexual abuse".etc.etc. plus the fact that most of their leaders are living lavishly.AND THE FACT THAT THEY CANNOT REALLY DEFEND THEIR FAITH WELL..THEY CANNOT EXPLAIN EVEN THE CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE.(which supposed to be the core of their reasoning.)And not only the catholic church, but those fake religions all over the world.

Thanks for this. I thought that there was something weird and strange about this, for, even if he had said such in private, he'd have tried his damndest to prevent it from going public, if it had, he'd have denied the hell out of it. NOBODY has THAT much balls!!

that you must consider that any change to the original bible, for is not sanctioned by God but by a form of bigotry and self serving to the church. We must all seek to find the original, and go back to trying to understand it. I believe the original did not say you can only hear the word of God through a Pope or priest. You must also seek in your soul for God's truth. Better it be that you go on a soul journey like I did, then go to church.

Tendencies to change the so-called law to suit ones political needs has been endemic throughout Judeo-Christian history. Read "The Controversy of Zion" and see how it has brought us to where we are today. It's not only the Judeo-Christians, but that system of cultural bias and population control is the most prevalent among the power-brokers of the world. Terrorism in the Middle East is the invention of Jehovah [Link](perhaps aka Ba'al Zebub, as deliberately confused with Ba'al Zebul...semantics can be so Semitic)!.

They own the most land in the world. This story is gross and very disturbing. Is this for real? I do know that Ancient Greeks were known to be frivolous with young men and learned recently of Afghanistan's treatment of some boys. The Romans seemed risque. There is no mutual consent in this escapade...only manipulation, therefore, it is wrong. Is the Catholic Church seeking help? Is this man mentally disturbed, The Pope?

In the vision of Saint Hildegard, the face of the Church is stained with dust, and this is how we have seen it. Her garment is torn – by the sins of priests. The way she saw and expressed it is the way we have experienced it this year. We must accept this humiliation as an exhortation to truth and a call to renewal. Only the truth saves. We must ask ourselves what we can do to repair as much as possible the injustice that has occurred. We must ask ourselves what was wrong in our proclamation, in our whole way of living the Christian life, to allow such a thing to happen. We must discover a new resoluteness in faith and in doing good. We must be capable of doing penance. We must be determined to make every possible effort in priestly formation to prevent anything of the kind from happening again. This is also the moment to offer heartfelt thanks to all those who work to help victims and to restore their trust in the Church, their capacity to believe her message. In my meetings with victims of this sin, I have also always found people who, with great dedication, stand alongside those who suffer and have been damaged. This is also the occasion to thank the many good priests who act as channels of the Lord’s goodness in humility and fidelity and, amid the devastations, bear witness to the unforfeited beauty of the priesthood.
We are well aware of the particular gravity of this sin committed by priests and of our corresponding responsibility. But neither can we remain silent regarding the context of these times in which these events have come to light. There is a market in child pornography that seems in some way to be considered more and more normal by society. The psychological destruction of children, in which human persons are reduced to articles of merchandise, is a terrifying sign of the times. From Bishops of developing countries I hear again and again how sexual tourism threatens an entire generation and damages its freedom and its human dignity. The Book of Revelation includes among the great sins of Babylon – the symbol of the world’s great irreligious cities – the fact that it trades with bodies and souls and treats them as commodities (cf. Rev 18:13). In this context, the problem of drugs also rears its head, and with increasing force extends its octopus tentacles around the entire world – an eloquent expression of the tyranny of mammon which perverts mankind. No pleasure is ever enough, and the excess of deceiving intoxication becomes a violence that tears whole regions apart – and all this in the name of a fatal misunderstanding of freedom which actually undermines man’s freedom and ultimately destroys it.
In order to resist these forces, we must turn our attention to their ideological foundations. In the 1970s, paedophilia was theorized as something fully in conformity with man and even with children. This, however, was part of a fundamental perversion of the concept of ethos. It was maintained – even within the realm of Catholic theology – that there is no such thing as evil in itself or good in itself. There is only a “better than” and a “worse than”. Nothing is good or bad in itself. Everything depends on the circumstances and on the end in view. Anything can be good or also bad, depending upon purposes and circumstances. Morality is replaced by a calculus of consequences, and in the process it ceases to exist. The effects of such theories are evident today. Against them, Pope John Paul II, in his 1993 Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor, indicated with prophetic force in the great rational tradition of Christian ethos the essential and permanent foundations of moral action. Today, attention must be focussed anew on this text as a path in the formation of conscience. It is our responsibility to make these criteria audible and intelligible once more for people today as paths of true humanity, in the context of our paramount concern for mankind.

Thanks sprevo. Originally I just scanned the articles title and thought 'wow. how much lower can the church go'! Next time I'll pay more attention to the links provided. Obviously the Belfast Telegraph has a vendetta against the church.

Although I do not like at all how the church has handled these cases (coverup, moving pedophile priests to a different parish etc) I think it is highly unethical to misconstrue and falsify statements, no matter there source. Wondering if the Catholic Church has considered a civil lawsuit? Probably not though since the pope essentially said everything happens for a reason, even pedophilia.

Hmm, possibly a bit our of proportion yes. But you really need to look at the context of what he, the pope, is saying in that one key sentence. That pedophilia was in conformity with men and even children in the 1970s. I don't think pedophilia was ever in conformity with any time period outside of probably medieval/renaissance times. And I know for a fact that at least during "the 1970s" no one ever thought... "Hey, doing these things to kids feels good and ethos says it's not evil.. let's have at it!!" And to even, in any realm of consciousness, make such a statement shows a deep level of delusion.
I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but from a psychological stance, child molesters are deemed basically un-curable. There's really no effective treatment for these individuals and it's not even fully understood how this perversion manifests itself. I think that in and of itself is enough to condemn the catholic church for pardoning any priest who may even be suspected of such a heinous crime. For the pope to make a statement such as this belittles the full extent of both pedophilia and child molestation. It's also a bit leery how quickly he shifted his topic onto something else.
I think this article was probably not the best thought out, but if you are capable of reading between the lines then you can understand why the author was so enraged.
I know my statements won't change your opinion.. it's only one glaring sentence in an otherwise long and happily conceived thought by the pope. But he might as well have said "gravity did not exist in the 1970s, people just were unaware of what held them in place". You can't make statements like that and expect it to go over well.
I still don't even know why anything the Catholic church does is open to debate. As far as I am concerned they have some Major fundamental theological issues and the entire institution needs to be reworked. I don't think religion should hurt anyone, especially those who are innocent. And I know for a fact that Catholicism is still hurting a lot of people with it's archaic and ill-conceived notions of righteousness.

-We must ask ourselves what we can do to repair as much as possible the injustice that has occurred. We must ask ourselves what was wrong in our proclamation, in our whole way of living the Christi...an life, to allow such a thing to happen.

-We must be determined to make every possible effort in priestly formation to prevent anything of the kind from happening again.

-We are well aware of the particular gravity of this sin committed by priests and of our corresponding responsibility.

-In order to resist these forces, we must turn our attention to their ideological foundations. In the 1970s, paedophilia was theorized as something fully in conformity with man and even with children. This, however, was part of a fundamental perversion of the concept of ethos.

-Morality is replaced by a calculus of consequences, and in the process it ceases to exist.

If that was the case the church should have been leading in pointing out the problem back then. The church knew better and should have been an active force in correcting the problem rather than joining in the problem. Simple as that.

well put, and let me add this goes not only for the past but also for the present you cannot make nice statements like the ones in the comment right above yours and then send the circular CRIMEN SOLICITACIONIS (GOGGLE IT!!!) at the same time.

I for one wouldn't wait for the judgement day for the false prophets to burn

The pope is saying that the priests who have abused children used the theory of ethos... that nothing is evil... to justify their actions. He is not agreeing with this interpretation of ethos. Read the actual address before misconstruing it to piss off people. I am also a victim as many of my friends were of abusers. And when people write articles just to enrage us... it makes me angry. We don't need more suffering. Don't use our vulnerability for your untruths and ill investigated articles!

The ethos theory is similar to Buddhist theories. But we all know, that these theories need to be looked at, questioned and re-evaluated over and over again.

I highly recommend that anyone interested in this read the whole address. I actually agree with the paragraph that comes before the one I have quoted below.

"In order to resist these forces, we must turn our attention to their ideological foundations. In the 1970s, paedophilia was theorized as something fully in conformity with man and even with children. This, however, was part of a fundamental perversion of the concept of ethos. It was maintained – even within the realm of Catholic theology – that there is no such thing as evil in itself or good in itself. There is only a “better than” and a “worse than”. Nothing is good or bad in itself. Everything depends on the circumstances and on the end in view. Anything can be good or also bad, depending upon purposes and circumstances. Morality is replaced by a calculus of consequences, and in the process it ceases to exist. The effects of such theories are evident today. Against them, Pope John Paul II, in his 1993 Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor, indicated with prophetic force in the great rational tradition of Christian ethos the essential and permanent foundations of moral action. Today, attention must be focused anew on this text as a path in the formation of conscience. It is our responsibility to make these criteria audible and intelligible once more for people today as paths of true humanity, in the context of our paramount concern for mankind."

Watch document of shame to begin to comprehend the state Europe is in, a pedo state, reaching to the highest levels. Yes the Pope is included in the highest ranking. So is the head of the ministry of justice of the Netherlands and Kings and Queens. Wake up and revolt it is the only way to stop this. [Link]

System
·
2011-12-01T08:45:47Z

Rubbish

This article is complete rubbish: soundbite material taken out of context. Don't believe me? Read the speech for yourself:

It is as strong a testament as there is to the COMPASSION and DEVOTION of Pope Benny: working to heal the wounds of the affected, and lead the Church in its mission: to protect the corporal and spiritual rights of all and lead people to a deeper understanding of God and his unparalleled love.

The Catholic church needs to include a watchdog on men who are pursuing priesthood. They need to understand that some men think that by becoming a priest, preacher, or a coach that they overcome their hidden sexual perversions while at the same time those very demons lead them into positions where they can exploit their power upon the innocent and get away with it. Christianity needs to end the illusion of being saved because people are committing atrocious acts and just telling themselves that God forgives them even if their crime causes much pain for the masses. I think it is high time the human race evolves away from Cults and starts understanding a new spirituality. Our minds are being polluted with Holy Terrorism.

this is what he REALLY SAID. It is obvious from his speech that he is saying that he CONDEMNING the immorality of the 70's and those who considered Child porn as normal. In fact he says at the beginning of the statement IN ORDER TO RESIST THESE EVILS.... Furthermore, down the speech he again CONDEMNS the PROBLEM with people (even some within the church) who get wishy washy and say that there is no such thing as evil in itself or good in itself.

by now it should be clear that what the article is trying to say is that the way he approaches the question is revealing by his own words, obviously he is not going to drop the mask entirely but in the way he expresses the whole issue it is clear that he takes a completely detached view as if the cases of systematic abuse and protection of the abuser never happened or were not happening.

that without mentioning that it is not important what he says but what he does, the catholic church continues to protect pedophiles of the highest rank to this day.

Having looked at his entire speech, it's clear that the pope was condemning those who said that child rape was acceptable. The above article is nothing more than slanderous misquoting. That so many of you are quick to condemn the pope is a good reminder to all of us to check our facts first, and not let personal opinions allow us to jump on a shame-filled bandwagon. What's also sad is that false accusations such as this article reduce the credibility of true accusations.

Sound familar? Who does this sound like?
(Jude 4-9) . . .My reason is that certain men have slipped in who have long ago been appointed by the Scriptures to this judgment, ungodly men, turning the undeserved kindness of our God into an excuse for loose conduct and proving false to our only Owner and Lord, Jesus Christ. I desire to remind YOU, despite YOUR knowing all things once for all time, that Jehovah, although he saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterwards destroyed those not showing faith. And the angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place he has reserved with eternal bonds under dense darkness for the judgment of the great day. So too Sod′om and Go·mor′rah and the cities about them, after they in the same manner as the foregoing ones had committed fornication excessively and gone out after flesh for unnatural use, are placed before [us] as a [warning] example by undergoing the judicial punishment of everlasting fire. In like manner, notwithstanding, these men, too, indulging in dreams, are defiling the flesh and disregarding lordship and speaking abusively of glorious ones. But when Mi′cha·el the archangel had a difference with the Devil and was disputing about Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a judgment against him in abusive terms, but said: “May Jehovah rebuke you.”
(Revelation 18:4-5) . . .I heard another voice out of heaven say: “Get out of her, my people, if YOU do not want to share with her in her sins, and if YOU do not want to receive part of her plagues. For her sins have massed together clear up to heaven, and God has called her acts of injustice to mind.

What else is new in the catholic church's ignorance on the things that they are saying? you cannot expect them to really scrutinize and diligently examine their stand on certain matters..because even from the start, the organization is a hoax and having a bad reputation like "holy inquisition" "child sexual abuse".etc.etc. plus the fact that most of their leaders are living lavishly.AND THE FACT THAT THEY CANNOT REALLY DEFEND THEIR FAITH WELL..THEY CANNOT EXPLAIN EVEN THE CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE.(which supposed to be the core of their reasoning.)

What else is new in the administration of the catholic church's ignorance on the things that they are saying? you cannot expect them to really scrutinize and diligently examine their stand on certain matters..because even from the start, the organization is a hoax and having a bad reputation like "holy inquisition" "child sexual abuse".etc.etc. plus the fact that most of their leaders are living lavishly.AND THE FACT THAT THEY CANNOT REALLY DEFEND THEIR FAITH WELL..THEY CANNOT EXPLAIN EVEN THE CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE.(which supposed to be the core of their reasoning.) And not only the catholic church, but also those fake religions around the world.

Nice hit piece that twists the actual words of the Holy Father to make it seem something it wasn't. The "incriminating" words were discussing and condemning the malaise of society, and were in no way construed to be an excuse, except by forces that seek to discredit the words for their own anti-Christian purposes.

How about some context?

"There is a market in child pornography that seems in some way to be considered more and more normal by society. The psychological destruction of children, in which human persons are reduced to articles of merchandise, is a terrifying sign of the times. "

(Speaking of the culture of indulgence): "No pleasure is ever enough, and the excess of deceiving intoxication becomes a violence that tears whole regions apart – and all this in the name of a fatal misunderstanding of freedom which actually undermines man’s freedom and ultimately destroys it."

"In order to resist these forces, we must turn our attention to their ideological foundations. In the 1970s, paedophilia was theorized as something fully in conformity with man and even with children. This, however, was part of a fundamental perversion of the concept of ethos. It was maintained – even within the realm of Catholic theology – that there is no such thing as evil in itself or good in itself. There is only a “better than” and a “worse than”. Nothing is good or bad in itself. Everything depends on the circumstances and on the end in view. Anything can be good or also bad, depending upon purposes and circumstances. Morality is replaced by a calculus of consequences, and in the process it ceases to exist. The effects of such theories are evident today. Against them, Pope John Paul II, in his 1993 Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor, indicated with prophetic force in the great rational tradition of Christian ethos the essential and permanent foundations of moral action. Today, attention must be focussed anew on this text as a path in the formation of conscience. It is our responsibility to make these criteria audible and intelligible once more for people today as paths of true humanity, in the context of our paramount concern for mankind."

Taken out of context, you could twist the meaning to make it sound as if the Pope was establishing a doctrine of thought. Taken in context, we see that he is discussing - and condemning - the ethical errors that infected society and even the the thinking of the church.

Sorry to launch critiques from afar but this article merely takes the topic of the Pope's talk and creates its own headline. This article completely misses the point of what the Pope was saying and advocating. If he is to be critiqued at all it is for blaming the sins of the Church on the wider cultural context. He certainly is not responsible for claiming that child rape was okay. People who interpret that motive are entirely biased and completely inept when it comes to analyzing something with objectivity. Try and read the primary texts and not the secondary source agenda garbage.

sounds like the excuses of a filthy fucking paedophile and not just the excuses of one who helped many many child abusers avoid prosecution. the dirty fucking cunt should be strung up by his scrawny balls til he's dead and his filthy child abusing church should be burnt to the ground!
he was in charge of the catholic churches internal 'police' under john paul II, and it was he who spirited many many paedophile priests away from the diocese in which they committed the abhorrent acts, he did this in many countries around the globe allowing hundreds of abusers to avoid responsibility punishment, and allowed them to continue to abuse in new diocese... some fucking spiritual leader he is, the cunt!!!

Church volunteers go to jails to minister to convicted sex offenders then brings them into church as church parishioners are unaware or are unconcerned about the safety of others who are unaware
These programs in jails who are affiliated with churches have existed for long time
How many innocent people will become victims ?
EXPOSE THE TRUTH

The most successful tyranny is not the one that uses force to assure uniformity but the one that removes the awareness of other possibilities, that makes it seem inconceivable that other ways are viable, that removes the sense that there is an outside.